CVE-2026-88016rclone: Directory metadata (chmod/chown/chtimes) applied through a planted symlink in rclone local --links escapes the destination

Description

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, when backend/local runs with --links, a source .rclonelink object can plant a symlink in the destination and later directory metadata is applied through that path. MkdirMetadata, writeMetadataToFile, and setTimes operate when Directory.translatedLink=false, so os.Chown, os.Chmod, os.Chtimes, and birth-time handling can bypass os.Root confinement and follow the symlink. An attacker controlling source contents can therefore apply selected ownership, permissions, modification times, or birth times to a file or directory outside the destination, with --metadata required for chmod and chown while modification time is applied by the normal directory workflow. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

Data: CVE.org, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS, Ubuntu. Published as the sources state it, in English.

Affected products and versions

References and patches

• https://github.com/rclone/rclone/security/advisories/GHSA-f8g7-2xjc-7mfh Vendor Advisory
• https://github.com/rclone/rclone/commit/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 Patch
• https://github.com/rclone/rclone/commit/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e Patch
• https://github.com/rclone/rclone/releases/tag/v1.75.1 Release Notes